Embracing the Suck: How to Lean In To Hard Seasons & Come Out Stronger

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Sometimes, life has moments that just plain suck – seasons of challenge, hardship, uncertainty and discomfort. But what if, instead of resisting them, we leaned in?

Inspired by a recent trip to visit my daughter in San Antonio, I found myself deeply reflecting on a simple but powerful phrase – “embrace the suck.” While it’s a phrase that originated in the military, it holds valuable lessons for all of us in navigating life’s tough seasons, and in today’s episode, I’m sharing how shifting your mindset to embrace the hard things in life can help you come out stronger, wiser, and more resilient.

Table of Contents

In this episode, I discuss:

Not every task will be enjoyable or every season feel fulfilling, but growth demands that we face discomfort head on. It’s our natural tendency to seek comfort and avoid pain, but the reality is that’s not how we grow.

The friction that is created between the planning of something, and the execution of that plan, which is the hardship – this heat, this pressure, this feeling of discomfort, is the in-between uncomfortable but necessary stage to get the outcomes we desire. By ‘embracing the suck’ and seeing the discomfort as part of the process, we emerge stronger, wiser and more resilient.

Steps to embracing the suck;- including acknowledging the hardship, shifting your mindset to see the challenge as an opportunity, taking action anyway (discipline is doing what needs to be done even when you don’t feel like it!), leaning on your community and keeping your focus on the outcome – because nothing worth having comes without effort.

And so much more!

Whatever you’re facing today – whether it’s a difficult job or strained relationship or a season of uncertainty – know that you have the strength to push through. You have the power to embrace the discomfort, embrace the growth, and when you do, the other side will hold something beautiful.

If this episode has encouraged you to embrace the suck, I’d love to hear about it – send me a message on Instagram @radiantwomanhood and @tabithablue, or tag me in your stories.

And if you know someone who could do with hearing this right now, please share this episode with her too!

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